Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Wednesday pardoned 259 rebels captured in fighting with government forces, including dozens who had been sentenced to death.andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;
Bashir's order came three days after a prominent insurgent group freed dozens of prisoners, mostly soldiers, it had captured in fighting with government forces.andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;
"The decision to pardon 259 rebels aims at preparing the environment for achieving lasting peace in the country," Bashir's office said in a statement.andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;
Those pardoned include 66 rebels who had been sentenced to death.
Sudan: Blame traded over civilian deaths in Darfurandnbsp;andnbsp;
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Of the 259 rebels to be released now, dozens were captured in 2015 after fierce fighting in war-torn South Darfur between government forces and rebels. andnbsp; andnbsp;
Although the presidency did not specify which group these rebels belonged to, government forces in 2015 fought pitched battles with the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) in South Darfur. andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;
Forty-four rebels also among those pardoned were captured in the city of Omdurman in 2008 after similar clashes between government forces and JEM fighters.andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;
"The decision to pardon is a progressive step and would help in the ceasing of hostilities," Nur Ahmed al-Nur, editor-in-chief of Assayha newspaper, told AFP news agency.andnbsp;andnbsp;
On Sunday, another prominent rebel group, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), freed at least 125 prisoners, mostly soldiers.andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;
The prisoners had been captured in Blue Nile and South Kordofan states, where the SPLM-N has been fighting government forces for years.andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;
Sudanese rebel group releases 127 prisoners
The conflict in Darfur, a region the size of France, erupted in 2003 when ethnic minority rebels took up arms against Bashir's Arab-dominated government in Khartoum, accusing it of marginalising the region economically and politically. andnbsp; andnbsp;
At least 300,000 people have been killed in Darfur and another 2.5 million displaced since the conflict erupted, the United Nations says.andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;
In 2011, similar rebellions against Bashir's regime also broke out in Blue Nile and South Kordofan states.andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;
Khartoum announced a unilateral ceasefire in June 2016 in all three conflict zones, which it extended by six months in January.andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;
Bashir, who has ruled Sudan for nearly three decades, is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes in Darfur. He steadfastly denies the charge.
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Source:andnbsp;AFP news agency